The Sun, The Moon, The Truth
by AllyLovesYou
Summary: Margaery Tyrell is not popular (more the opposite, really), even though her brother is and her name should make her. But life isn't always fair like that and when she thought things could not get more complicated she has a heart to heart under the stars with the only two teenagers who are just as fucked up as she is, if not more. A modern AU about Margaery, Sansa & Dany loving.
1. Chapter 1

()()()()

 _Take a deep breath._

 _It´s just a bad day, not a bad life._

()()()()

 _-They are just jealous.-_

It´s what her Grandma used to say when the kids on the playground wouldn´t let her play with them.

Now it´s what she tells herself when she walks trough the school halls and everybody is starring at her.

 _-They are all just jealous._

 _Because you are a Tyrell, and because Loras is your brother and Renly is your boyfriend and because if you wanted to, you could rule this school.-_

Margaery tries to make herself believe her own words, but it´s hard when somebody is throwing their water bottle in your face.

That somebody is Joffrey Baratheon.

She kows because even though her eyes are closed, cold water dripping down her face, she can hear his laugh, high and cackling, like a hyena.

It´s the same laugh she hears every night in her dreams.

Nightmares of course, not sex dreams or anthing like that. _Ew._

It´s the same laugh that has been haunting her every day since middle school.

Sighing, she looks down at her flower printed t-shirt, now drenched.

She only bought it this weekend, because she´s seen Shae wearing a similiar one to a football game once, and everybody likes Shae.

Joffrey definetly likes Shae, she thinks, when she sees the two of them making out against the lockers.

Margaery bites her lip, wondering what she should do now.

Her first class starts in two minutes, Algebra, and the teacher hates her already even though it´s not her fault she´s just really bad at it, but there is no way she´s stepping into a classroom like this.

 _-Screw this.-_

Going to her locker she takes out her gym shirt and turns around, shouldering her way through the mass of giggling cheerleaders that are no doubt laughing about her.

It takes her a second to decide wether to use the girls bathroom down the hall or the one farther away.

Last time she used the one closer to her classroom she stumbled in on the Stark girl starring at herself in the mirror like she could see through it, and that had just been weird.

So she decides that it doesn´t matter if any more students see her drenched in water, they all hate her anyway, and makes her way to the one further away from her hell of algebra class.

That one is empty, thankfully, and Margaery smiles to herself.

On her way to one of the stalls she catches a look of herself in the mirrors and halts.

Big blue eyes, a cute button nose, long brown wavy hair and all the right clothes.

It´s so unfair, she should be popular.

She knows she´s not ugly and besides, she´s a tyrell, and her brother is on the football team.

But it´s always been like that: Golden boy Loras and little, weird, always smiling too big Margaery.

She furrows her brows at her blue dyed hair tips.

That was stupid, she only did it to feel braver and she actually thought it looked kind of good, but the looks of everybody in the halls this morning told her otherwise.

At home she would dye them back first thing.

Closing the bathroom stall door behind her, she can´t help but giggle when she sees „RENLY" written on it in red marker with a big „HE´S MINE" just under it.

 _-No_ ,-

she thinks,

- _he´s Mine.-_

 _-But that´s not right either, is it?-_

A voice inside her head tells her.

- _Renly only belongs to Loras.-_

 _-You´re just there so nobody becomes suspicious, so your great brother doesn´t become like you, an outcast.-_

„Shut up." she mumbles to herself while changing into her gym shirt.

 _-You are only doing it so you can pretend your little crush on Renly is reciprocated. But the truth is, Renly chose your brother, just like everybody always does.-_

„I know that, I know that. I am only doing this for Loras."

And how could she not.

When your brother comes into your room in the middle of the night, crying, sobbing, telling you how he hates himself for loving a boy, and you pet his hair and tell him it´s okay and that it doesn´t make him any less of the Loras you know and love, and when he begs you to help, tells you he doesn´t know how to live without Renly (Renly, out of everyone it had to be Renly, the boy she loved since first grade, who always came to her house and used to call her „his little rose", of course it was him, of course he had only ever been there because of Loras.), you don´t just say no.

Even though it hurts so damn much every time Renly holds her hand in school or kisses her cheek and she knows that the second the two of them are alone she´s invisible.

It´s for Loras, and she would do everything for Loras.

Sighing, Margaery opens the bathroom door and makes her way to the secreariat.

There is no way she is going to be late to Algebra again without a pass.

The Lady at the counter likes her, she´ll help Margaery out.

Once she´s there she sees she´s not the only one needing a late pass and even from behind she knows who the other person is.

The long silver hair with the complicated braids and the simple black shirt, ripped jeans and worn out biker boots are a no brainer.

If there´s one person who is even more of an outcast than Margaery herself it´s probably Daenerys Targaryen.

Even though the other girl is probably the most beautiful in school and comes from an incredibly wealthy family nobody ever talks to her.

But they don´t bully her either and of that Margaery is jealous.

The silver haired girl turns around and Margaery winces.

Scratch the whole being jelaous thing.

Her eye is bruised and blue, her lip split open and looking like it only just stopped bleeding.

Yeah, Margaery thinks, definetly not jealous.

Everybody knows about Viserys Targaryen and his love for violence, especially regarding his younger sister.

 _-Everybody knows, but nobody ever does anything.-_

Daenerys smiles slightly when she sees her but ends up only wincing and putting a finger up to her lip.

Margaery smiles back and the other girl leaves, late pass in hand (because nobody is going to hold her responsible for being late when her face looks like this).

Stepping up to the counter Margaery is just about to explain her predicament when she hears a voice behind her.

„Hey Tyrell girl!"

Behind her Daenerys is slowly making her way down the hall, going backwards, violet eyes fixed on Margaery.

„I like your hair."

And it doesn´t even sound mocking, but like the other girl really means it.

Margaery smirks, trying to cover her blush, and mumbles a „thanks", but Daenerys is already gone.

 _-Maybe_ ,-

Margaery thinks, hands going up to touch her hair tips,

-I´ _ll keep them like this_.-

()()()()


	2. Chapter 2

()()()()

are you alive or just existing?

()()()()

Sansa was a happy kid.

Her mom always tells stories at the dinner table about how she used to climb trees and run around getting her dresses dirty and how her hair looked like fire when the sun shone on it.

Those stories are followed by a sigh and pitying look.

„What happened? You have everything you could want, why are you always so sad?"

 _I don´t know mom,_ Sansa wants to scream, _i don´t need a reason to feel like shit._

Instead she leaves the table and goes back to her room.

Her blinds are drawn shut, keeping out the evening sun, and her floor is littered with clothes and Cd´s and everything else.

She used to care about that.

Used to keep her room clean and pretty and herself even cleaner and prettier.

She doesn't know when it changed.

When she started wearing her hair messy and in limp ponytails, put all her dresses and beautiful clothes to the back of her dresser and made room for hoodies and jeans, when she stopped putting on make up and brushing her hair and caring what others said about her.

Sansa knows they talk behind her back, knows they say she´s a freak, disgusting, ugly, stupid, attention seeker, …

She wishes it would make her feel something, would make her scream or cry or even laugh.

Instead she's numb.

Has been for a long time now.

(She doesn't know how long. Time is something she has no control over anymore. Most of the time she has no idea what day of the week it is.)

She lays down, it´s not even eight yet but nowadays she always feels tired, and closes her eyes.

Downstairs somebody screams, Arya or Rickon, and she hears Robbs deep laugh.

Lady whimpers and scratches at her door, Ghost barks outside her window.

Sansa wishes they would all just stop.

She wishes the world would stop.

She slowly counts to ten and then everything is quiet.

()()()()

She wakes up the next day to sounds coming from downstairs.

Arya and Bran are fighting and Sansa pulls her pillow over her head, trying to block them out.

It doesn't work.

A glance at her mobile display tells her that it´s 4pm already.

She slept over 20 hours.

It doesn't even surprise her anymore.

Standing up Sansa doesn't make an attempt to change out of her sweatpants and shirt into something else, her hair is falling out of its ponytail, thick, red strands falling into her face.

She doesn't notice them.

Her feet are cold on the wooden floor and her room is dark, blinds still drawn shut, light switched off.

She navigates her way to the door with ease, only making contact with her dresser once and uttering a quiet curse.

The light in the hall is harsh, the natural sun streaming in through the windows making her eyes and head hurt.

Sansa feels exhausted.

She thinks about going back to bed.

But her throat is aching (god knows why, it's not like she's been talking much the last weeks) and she desperately wants a glass of water.

Also, her bladder is short of bursting.

The bathroom on her floor is empty and if she thought the light in the hall was bad, this here is hell.

Bright, white lamps are reflecting on the marble tiles and she squeezes her eyes shut.

After using the toilet and washing her hands she looks up and meets her face in the mirror.

The girl looking back at Sansa is a stranger.

Hollow cheekbones, empty eyes and limp hair.

The redhead feels like her reflection should prompt some reaction from her, anything, but all she can do is stare numbly.

She's been mostly good at ignoring mirrors, except for the one in the schools girls bathroom, that one caught her without warning.

Sansa used to love mirrors, used to love spending hours in front of them, looking at herself, getting herself ready.

Those memories seem so strange now, like they're not her own, like past Sansa is someone completely different than present Sansa, which is probably true, but it's still strange that she feels so disconnected to everything that happened before she sunk into the sadness and her own mind.

Before she drowned in it.

She looks down again, fast.

Her hands grip the sink and it feels good because it's the most emotion she's shown in months.

But it doesn't last, her arms are too weak and she is too weak and she leaves the bathroom without looking back up again.

Down in the living room her Mom is flicking through a magazine while the TV is showing some sports game Robb had probably been watching.

Catelyn Stark is humming and the door into the back yard is open and she can see Arya and Rickon running around, Bran sitting in the sun reading.

The Stark household is always loud and full of live and Sansa used to love it, used to be proud of her Family and her siblings and being part of something so big and beautiful.

Now it's all just too much, no matter where she goes somebody is always talking and asking things and laughing and she wants it all to stop.

Is it too much to ask for some quiet?

But then again, Sansa doesn't really ask.

Sansa had hoped she could steal into the kitchen and back upstairs again without somebody

noticing, but the second her feet touch onto the wood floor her Mom turns around.

„Sansa! I thought you would never get up!" Catelyn smiles at her and it's so forced Sansa almost winces.

Her and her mom used to have a great relationship. They used to go to the mall together and Sansa talked to her about her crushes and everything else and they laughed a lot.

But that was old Sansa and new Sansa doesn't know how to do all that and that's what her Mom doesn't understand.

She wants old Sansa back, she doesn't know how to talk to new Sansa, how to help new Sansa.

Sansa herself just wishes her Mom would stop trying.

She motions in the kitchen and turns around to make her way there, away from prying eyes, but of course her Mother stands up from her spot on the couch and follows.

Of course.

The younger Stark girl opens a bottle of water and gets a glass from the shelve.

Maybe if she ignores that her Mom is in the room with her the older woman will leave her alone.

Yeah, wishful thinking.

„So anyway, I'm really glad you're awake. I had thought for a moment you had forgotten about the charity event at the Lannisters this evening."

Sansa hadn't forgotten, she had repressed it.

An event at the Lannisters is the last thing she wanted, the last thing anyone wanted, really.

But of course, her mother didn't see it that way.

„I already laid out a dress for you, it's in your room. You're gonna love it sweetie, it's perfect for you."

-No mom, old Sansa would have loved it. I don't care.-

She never says the words, but thinks them at least five times a day.

Instead she looks at her mom, at the forced happy look and the strained smile.

„I'm not going to that." She mumbles into her glass, because if there is one thing that hasn't changed about her it's that she´s a coward.

-Cowardly, weak, little Sansa.-

Her moms face changes from pretend happy to strict, to angry, to not understanding, to annoyed. Sansa knows what´s coming.

„No way young lady. You are going. I don't know what is going on with you at the moment, what made you become this totally different person, but whatever it is snap out of it.

This is something we are doing as a family, and even though you do your best not to be, you are part of that family.

I am not letting you ruin this evening."

Because that's all Sansa ever does, right? Ruin things.

And really, what more could she have said to that.

Her mom had it all figured out.

Sansa just had to snap out of it.

()()()

A/N:

Okay so chapter 2.

I hope you all like this story so far and if you do please comment because I already have a few more chapters written and if people like this I will post them!

You can also find me on tumblr: clexalicious

Thanks for reading!;)


	3. Chapter 3

()()()()

She´s mad but she´s magic.

There´s no lie in her fire.

-Charles Bukowski

()()()()

The Lannister Mansion is gigantic, embarassingly so, and Margaery can already feel the goosebumps growing on her skin and her hands begin to sweat.

She can feel her smile become meaner and that´s never a good sign.

She hates Loras (she doesn´t) for making her come here just because he wants to see his precious boyfriend.

Isn´t she already doing enough for him?

Margaery beginns touching her hair, curled to perfection, her blue tips fitting perfectly to the midnight blue of her dress, and smoothes down the silk of her gown.

Loras walks up the big staircase next to her and she can see him roll his eyes out of the corner of her eye.

„Stop it Marge, you look gorgeous like always!"

She wishes he would stop mocking her.

-weird, little Margaery. Golden boy Loras.-

Inside it´s even more overdone. The walls are decorated in gold and red, banners with the old Lannister Lion hanging from the walls.

Margaery feels like she set foot into the griffindor common room or something.

The room is full of people, a lot off whom Margaery knows from seeing but just as many strangers.

There are the Starks in one corner, all copper hair and brown and green colours, the Baratheons in another.

Even some Boltons and Greyjoys are strutting around the hall.

Margaery tries to stay close to Loras, to not get lost, just the thought of running into Joffrey makes her shiver.

But of course as soon as Loras sees Renly in between his family he squeezes her arm and is gone.

She sighs, smile still in place so it at least looks like she´s in control of herself and the situation.

A glance of bright red catches her eye and she turns a little to her left only to see Sansa Stark leaning on a wall.

The other girl looks great in her green dress and Margaery can´t help but feel jelaous.

But then she sees the look on Sansa Starks face and knows she shouldn´t be.

Her face is pale, even more so under the bright colour of her hair, her eyes seem empty and tired and everything about her posture screams that she wants to be here as much as Margaery herself.

For a moment Margaery thinks about going up to her but she quickly deflects that idea.

The two of them wouldn´t be good for each other.

Instead she makes her way over to the bar, asking the waiter for a glass of champagne, knowing that at parties like these nobody is going to card her.

She sipps slowly on the drink, just so she looks busy.

-God you are pathetic Margaery.-

On the other side of the room she can see Loras and Renly standing together, laughing, hands brushing together every now and again and she shakes her head, feeling so so stupid standing here by herself while her „boyfriend" is obviously occupied flirting with her brother.

She wishes she had someone who would make these horrible events a little bit more worthwile.

Before she can completely drown in her self hating thoughts the doors open once again and in walks Viserys Targaryen, his sisters forearm gripped firmly in his long thin fingers.

Both of them look breathtaking, him in a black tuxedo and her in a dark dress reaching mid thigh that makes her pale legs look endless, even though she is shorter than Margaery herself.

But Viserys face looks too sharp and clean and too hard and Daenerys looks uncomfortable, her with braids decorated silver hair shielding her face and Margaery remembers school yesterday and the bruises on her face.

The small silver haired girl says something and her brother fiercely whispers something in her ear.

Daenerys just nods.

Margaery realizes that she is the only one watching the scene and she feels rude, quickly turning her head away.

Her champagne glass is empty and she asks for another one, liking the warm feeling in her stomach and how the alcohol seems to make the smile on her face become more genuine.

She doesn´t take her time with this one, downing it instead like it´s a shot of vodka.

The guy at the bar looks at her for a second when she asks for a third one, but she just smirks and leans over, showing her cleavage, the alcohol making her braver and bolder than she is.

She get´s her drink.

The Tyrell girl wishes for something stronger, the bubbly and fruity taste not fitting her mood.

She remembers Loras house parties, all the people she hates, everybody who torments her on a daily basis filling her home, making her feel scared in a place that had always been her one safe haven.

She remembers stealing a bottle of vodka and hiding in her room, trying not to sob and not to make a sound, the alcohol burning her throat and tears burning her eyes.

Loras doesn´t look for her once, doesn´t try to include her.

She knows he is in one of the bathrooms, sticking his tongue down her fake boyfriends throat.

She keeps drinking till the clear liquid isn´t disgusting anymore and till she passes out.

Margaery wishes for one of those drinks now, the ones that make forgetting easier and that fit her mood.

She doesn´t want good tasting party drinks that make her stomach feel a little warm and that´s it.

Too absorbed in her own thoughts she forgets to pay attention, forgets to keep her guard up and the dark shadow that´s looming over her startles her.

-stupid Margaery, stupid stupid stupid.-

Joffrey smiles down at her, mean and scary and mocking, and she wonders if that is what her smirks look like.

They are alone, and she´s relieved for a second, at least he doesn´t have one of his goons with him.

But that also means that nobody is gonna notice if he does anthing and Margaery tries to be inconspicious while she searchs the crowd at the other end of the room for Loras.

Joffrey steps closer and Margaery tries not to give in and take a step back.

For everybody else the young Lannister probably looks dashing, his black tuxedo fitting perfectly, his blue tie complementing his eyes, his golden hair slicked back, but Margaery only sees the Monster he is.

"Well well if this isn´t little Margaery Tyrell. What do you think you are doing here, making everyboy loose their appetite while having to look at your disgusting weird face."

She knows that his words aren´t true, knows he is just a stupid boy but his words hit her where it hurts and just the sound of his voice makes her dizzy and nauseaus and makes breathing harder.

-weird, little Margaery. Nobody wants you here.-

She swallows, her nails biting into her skin, neck flushing. Where is her brother?

"I was invited."

She hates how her voice sounds, all weak and pathetic, her smile long gone, not strong enough to withstand his words.

Joffrey laughs, all low and mocking and posessive, making shivers run down her spine.

His face comes closer to hers, his hot breath on her nose making her want to throw up.

"Oh no, you don´t really believe that, do you? Your brother was invited, you know, the Tyrell people like, the one people care about. He only brought you along because he feels sorry for you, being all alone, without anyone caring if you dissapeared or not,"

His hand grips her upper arm, going all the way around her bizeps and she can´t help but whimper.

His eyes look cold and crazy and violent and Margaery wonders why nobody is noticing, doing anything.

She tries to avert her eyes.

"Look at me."

His voice is getting seething, dangerous and she wonders what she did that this boy in front of her hates her so much, that everybody hates her so much.

"I said look at me! Nobody wants you here, don´t you see? You are all alone and nobody cares. They don´t even see you, they don´t notice you. You are just a liability.

Nobody wants you. So how about I be a genleman and bring you home, doesn´t that sound nice?"

Margaery knows she doesn´t have a choice.

His hand on her arm is unrelenting while he drags her out of the ballroom and down a corridor, away from everybody.

She knows she lost and while she is scared, so so scared she can feel her heart beating in every pore of her body, she can´t concentrate on anything else but on the fact that he´s right, that Loras is somewhere off with Renly and he won´t notice that she´s gone, doesn´t care that he brought her here, made her be in a room with everybody who makes her feel weak.

If he doesn´t find her at the end of the evening he´ll just assume she went home, he´ll think "silly little Margaery couldn´t handle being normal for one evening. No wonder nobody likes her, she´ll just have to try harder."

Joffrey is dragging her to a door at the end of the hall, and Margaery has simply accepted that whatever comes next is going to be horrible when there is a voice behind them.

"Hey!"

It´s soft and feminine and firm but most important it makes Joffrey stop and turn around.

There behind them with her silver hair and pale skin and dark dress, looking like a queen in the low lights of the corridor stands Daenerys Targaryen.

There is a smile on her full lips and her eyes are locked on Margaery.

"I´ve been searching for you all night! I need somebody to dance with."

At first Margaery is sure she means Joffrey, but then the other Girl walks up to them, ignores the blonde boys confusion, and takes her hand.

"I thought we were supposed to meet at the bar but when I looked you were gone. Good thing I found you!"

The smile is still on her lips but the look in the other girls eyes tells Margaery that Daenerys knows full well that it was indeed a good thing that she found the two of them.

Margaery clears her thoat.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I was waiting for you but Joffrey wanted to show me something."

Daenerys shrugs her shoulders, her gaze still on Margaery, firm and comforting and concentrated just on her.

And it´s so funny that she´s never spoken a word with this girl before, except for their encounter in school, and now she´s holding her hand, being saved.

"Well, though luck for Joffrey because I´m stealing you away."

And with that Daenerys´ eyes leave Margaerys face for the first time and concentrate on Joffrey.

Her eyes are daring him to say something and Joffrey looks furious, seething and for a moment margaery thinks something horrible is going to happen, but then he let´s her arm go and, with one last look at the two of them, turns around and leaves.

Margaery breathes in deeply for the first time in ten minutes.

Her knees are weak and her heart is racing and she feels like sobbing.

Leaning back against the wall behind her she sinks down against it, her mind trying to catch up with everything that´s just happened.

Daenerys is still there, standing in front of her and Margery notices that they are still holding hands.

For a few minutes they just stay like this, Margaery trying to get her breathing under control and the other girl just being next to her, offering a kind of unspoken comfort.

"You okay Tyrell girl?"

Margaery let´s out a laugh that sounds more like she´s choking.

"No, no not really. But thanks, for before."

She looks up and Daenerys just shrugs.

„I saw him grab your arm and drag you out and I just knew that there was nothing good coming out of that."

Her face goes dark for a moment and margaery thinks maybe the other girl is talking from experience. She remembers Viserys and his cold thin hands and shivers.

„My name, it´s Margaery by the way"

Now it´s Daenerys turn to laugh.

"I know. I´m Daenerys."

"Yeah, I … know."

Margaery feels akward suddenly, sitting there on the ground of some dark corridor with some girl she barely knows holding her hand while they are making introductions.

Both of them are silent for a few seconds, then Daenerys gives her hand a squeeze and pulls her up.

"Come on, I know a place we can go."

Margaery follows without question.


	4. Chapter 4

()()()()

"there will be dozens of people who will take your breath away,

but the one who reminds you to breathe is the one you should keep."

()()()()

Margaery wants to be able to say that everything about the Lannisters is ugly and horrible but Daenerys ("or just Dany if you want to.") leads her through a door at the back of the mansion and before Margaery can stop herself she gasps at the scene in front of her.

The garden is massive, more like a park, really, and the sky is clear and full of stars.

Her companion must have heard her gasp because she turns around and smiles that smile that makes Margaery feel safe and warm (and something else she can´t quite name yet).

Dany laughs, head thrown back and silver hair cathching in the moonlight, when she sees the look on the brunettes face.

"I know right? Is there anything about them that´s not completely pretentious?"

Margaery looks at her with something akin to wonder on her face.

"Oh but you can´t deny that this is beautiful!" Her hands touch the smooth wood of one of the big benches that decorate the empty lawn.

Dany turns to her after that comment, head turned to the side and a curious look on her face, like Margaery just said something that she hadn´t expected.

„No I guess I can´t."

Margaery looks up and their eyes meet and for a second she thinks maybe Dany wasn´t just talking about the garden.

But then she scoffs at herself.

-Of course, Margaery. Stupid, silly Margaery.-

Daenerys nods her head to her right, asking Margaery to follow and together they make their way deeper into the beautiful mess of flowers of all kinds.

In the distance the brunette can see a big glistening surface and really? They have a lake?

She can now see that they are following a clear path and to both sides of them the hedges grow taller and taller till Margaery can only see forward and Danys back in front of her and she realizes that they are in some kind of labyrinth.

She begins to feel a little uneasy.

Not because of her companion. No, she would probably follow the other girl everywhere right know, which maybe is a little weird seeing as they only just met literal minutes ago.

But if Dany had wanted to hurt her or something she could just have had Joffrey have his fun with Margaery.

No, what was worrying her was the fact that it was getting darker and darker and they were both walking deeper into a labyrinth that they didn´t know the size or the way out of.

Margaery swallows, on the one hand not wanting to say anything and ruin the fun like she probably always did and on the other getting really worried.

Her stupid, overthinking side wins.

„Uh Dany? You sure this is a good idea? What if we get lost?"

She hates how pathetic she sounds and she half expects Daenerys to roll her eyes and sigh at her childish behaviour, to tell her to get a grip and not always ruin anything.

(In her imagination Danys face morphs into that of Loras and her voice gets deeper, mocking.)

But the other girl only laughs and there is nothing degrading or annoyed about it.

„Don´t worry pretty Tyrell. I know my way around, been here some times before."

She turns around in a flash and smirks at Margaery, but it´s not cold and mean and cutting like her own but warm and beautiful and somehow even seductive and it´s all that Margaery remembers.

That smirk and the way Danys voice sounded when she called her „pretty".

Margaery doesn´t think she will ever forget.

And it´s then, while the other girls hair still glows in the light of the moon and her skin looks white against her in the dark background dissapearing black dress, that Margaery realizes how absurd this whole situation is.

An hour ago she was standing alone in the dining hall of the Lannisters with nobody she knew and nobody to talk to, about to nearly get kidnapped or whatever by Joffrey, and now she is wandering the Lannister gardens at night with the most mysterious person in their whole town.

Also, she´s just been called pretty for the first time. Well, except for when her brother says it, but that doesn´t count.

Margaery should probably be embarassed that this is such a big deal for her but all she can think about is the way Dany said it.

So completely casual, like it is the most normal thing in the world.

It´s almost enough to make Margery believe it.

Almost.

Her companion sighs loudly and turns around, grinning big and eyes sparkling and now that the moonlight is illuminating her it´s the first time Margaery can see the shadow of a bruise still on her face.

Dany plops herself down on the grass and looks at Margaery expectantly.

The brunette girl begins to look at her surroundings and can´t help but gape, slowly sinking down next to her new friend.

They are surrounded by roses.

Red, yellow, pink. Even some blue ones.

It feels like they are swimming in a see of them, Margaery is stunned.

She turns her head and catches Daenerys watching her, a content smile on her lips, like this was just the reaction she was hoping for.

„It´s beautiful isn´t it? I come here sometimes to think. I don´t think one of the Lannisters has ever set food in the gardens and the fence is quite easy to climb on the other side of the lake."

Margaery grins at that, the image of Daenerys climbing fences in walked down boots and simple dresses or torn jeans so surreal and still so fitting.

„It may be cliche and boring but I love roses. And they made me think of you, I´ve been meaning to show you for some time now."

Margaerys head whips around at that.

She´s been meaning to show her? Does that mean Dany noticed or even thought about her before this evening?

And why did roses remind Dany of her?

The other girl probably sees the confusion on Margaerys face and lets out a small laugh.

„Because of your family? You know, they say the Tyrell house is the house of roses, or something like that. I never really got the whole story but it came back to me when I saw this the first time and so I´ve wanted to take you."

Margaery is still quiet. Simply because she has no idea what to say but at the same time so many questions.

There is too much new information in everything the silver haired girl just told her.

Daenerys smile slips a little and her eyes roam Margaerys face nervously before she fixes them on an imaginary thread on her dress.

"I mean it´s stupid. You probably have a rose garden even bigger than this one at your house and..."

"We don´t."

Dany looks up at Margaerys sudden words.

The latter clears her throat, pushing a strand of hair behind her hair unsurely.

"I mean we had one, when I was small, but my mom was the only one looking after and investing time in it so after she died it just kinda did too.."

It´s quiet again after that and Margaery can´t make herself meet Daenerys eyes, too embarassed about what she just confided to the other girl.

-stupid, silly Margaery. Always ruining everything with her helplessness.-

Then there´s a whispered "oh" from her companion and Margaery realizes that the other girls voice is still a little unsure herself so she feels like she should defuse the situation some more.

„So, it´s not stupid. Like, at all. It´s beautiful. The roses I mean. And I like it here, it´s good. It´s good that you took me. Thank you."

And she means it.

They both look at each other again and now Daenerys is smiling again and Margaery likes this much more than the nervous, unsure version of her. This seems much more like the real thing.

"Yeah, no problem."

The moment between them is easy, comfortable but there is something that´s been sitting in the back of Margaerys mind and she can´t keep herself from asking even if she hates herself for it.

„Do you want to show Loras too? My brother I mean, because he´s also a Tyrell."

She feels pathetic and needy but there is just that part of her that needs to ask, needs to know if this was about her or about some old forgotten family stories, as selfish as it sounds.

Daenerys looks at her with that something in her eyes that Margaery can´t place, like she´s trying to figure her out.

Then the other girl turns her head to the sky and slowly lays down, her silver hair like a halo around her.

„No."

It´s easy as that and Margaery doesn´t need her to clarify, doesn´t need to be told that this here was for her, not for Loras, not for any other Tyrell but for her, and it´s enough, it´s more than she had expected, more than she ever got and even though she doesn´t really get it, doesn´t understand why her, she lays down next to the silver haired girl beside her.

The lawn is a little wet and she´s sure she´s gonna be cold later but right know her elbow is touching Daenerys elbow and Margaery thinks that her heart should be racing, but it´s not.

It´s calm and steady, calmer than it´s been the whole evening, being in a room with so many people who hated and scared her, calmer than it´s been the whole week, having to go to school everyday to listen to people she didn´t do anything to tell her how unwanted and stupid she was.

It´s just calm.

And Margaery would say she´s just content, but when she thinks about it she´s not just content but happy, even though they aren´t doing or saying anything.

This is all still so surreal.

Maybe in a few seconds she´ll wake up, in her own bed or somewhere in a foreign room, Joffreys face close to hers and she´ll realize nobody came to help her escape from him.

She shudders.

„If you´re cold we can go inside again?"

Margaery hadn´t noticed Dany watching her but the prospect of going back to the others again, away from this somewhat magical world where it seems like no one can reach them makes her all but scream the "NO!".

Dany flinches.

„Sorry. Sorry, but let´s just stay for a little longer alright?"

The other girl shrugs, grinning.

„Sure, as long as you want. I´m in no hurry to get back to anyone."

A shadow passes over her face and Margaery remembers that while she may have to go back home with a brother who only uses her and doesn´t notice when she´s gone and a boyfriend who will not sleep in her bed tonight, Daenerys has to go back home to an empty home with a brother who uses her as a punching bag if he feels like it.

It always bothered the brunette girl, knowing nobody was doing anything to stop the abuse, but now she clenches her fists, getting angry while she thinks about what the girl next to her, who saved her without knowing her and showed her a garden full of roses because they made her think of Margaery, has to endure on a daily basis.

But she doesn´t say anything either, not wanting to ruin the moment, and maybe that´s selfish but Margaery can´t help herself.

Now she´s the one staring, turning her head to the side, hands folded on top of her stomach while trying not to loose the contact between both their elbows.

Dany is looking at the stars, face open and calm, unreadable. She seems relaxed, and Margaery smiles at how at ease they are with each other, like they´ve know each other for a long time.

She tries not to ogle the other girl too much, but damn, Daenerys is beautiful. There is no denying her full lips, big striking eyes, perfectly sculpted nose, and her hair, those silver blonde strands framing her face, making her look like an angel.

Margaery should be jealous but all she feels when she looks at her new friend is warmth. It starts in the pit of her stomach and builds up into her chest, making her skin tingle.

It´s … nice.

She doesn´t know how long the both of them lay there, counting stars and relishing the easy silence between them, but suddenly there is a noise breaking through the quiet of the night, a rustling of leaves and the sound of feet upon wet grass, and Margaery jumps up onto her elbows.

She looks behind her and there between the roses, with her hair like fire in the moonshine, stands Sansa Stark, looking like a painting.

The other girl looks shocked at finding them there, her hands clutching the long sleeves of her green velvet dress, her eyes big and blue and she seems frozen.

Margaery wants to take a picture, of the way her hair settles on her shoulders and stands out against the otherwise black night and of her pale pretty face, her eyes glancing between Margaery and Daenerys like she´s deciding what to do.

Dany does not seem as startled by the noise as Magaery was, and she smiles when she sees the Stark girl.

"Hey Sansa." her voice is soft but her eyes honest and she sits up, turning around fully, before crossing her legs and leaning on her arms behind her.

Sansa gives her a smile, it´s small and someone else would have called it shy but Margaery knows that´s not it, because Sansa Stark is not a shy person she´s just … sad.

But that doesn´t seem right either so Margaery stops trying to analyse and instead decides to follow Danys lead and face the other girl.

Sansa still hasn´t moved, neither forward in their direction or backwards to get away, so Margaery decides to speak.

"Dany and I were just catching some fresh air and enjoying the stars, you want to join us?" She smiles at the redhead, and it´s not one of her cutting smirks but a real one, making dimples appear in her cheeks, and it feels weird. Weird but not bad.

Sansa looks at her and then down quickly, her brow creasing, like she´s not quite sure what to do, before she clears her throat a little.

"Yeah, okay. Thank you." Her voice is flat, dead, but still polite because everyone knows Sansa Stark is a good girl.

Margaery watches as the tall girl walks up to them before slowly sitting down next to Daenerys, shuffling around a little so the three of them are sitting in something akin to a semicircle.

Her movements are stiff and heavy, like every step is exhausting her and Margaery thinks that yeah, sad definetly isn´t the right word.

Sansa tucks her knees up to her chest, leaning her head on them and she looks like nothing more than a kid right there in front of their eyes.

()()()()

All she had wanted was to get out.

Her mom had gotten her in the dress and her brothers in tuxedos (and her little sister in one too because god forbid Arya even touches frill) and after Caitlin deemed them all perfect looking they had been on their way.

And now here Sansa is, and everywhere around her are people talking and laughing and being obnoxious and all it´s all too much.

All sounds are muted and sometimes she feels like someone sprayed fog over her eyes and her whole body is heavy and tired.

Her Mom grips her arm and walks her around the room, stopping here and there to make smalltalk, never letting go of her daughter, like she´s afraid she´s gonna run away.

But Sansa doesn´t feel like running, she´s not feeling like much at all, except for being alone.

Yeah she´d really like to be alone.

She doesn´t know how much time has passed, how much longer they have to stay.

She remembers the beginning of the evening when there was a moment where Margaery Tyrell from her school looked at her and for a second Sansa thought the other girl was about to come over to talk to her.

-please don´t.- Sansa had thought. -There is nothing here that will make this worthwile. It´s just me, and even of that there isn´t much.-

But luck had been on her side because a second later the brunette had turned around again and that was that.

Sansa feels the hand around her arm loosen and looking up notices that her Mom is in deep discussion with a tall blonde women with short hair, so she takes her chance.

"I´m gonna get something to eat." she mumbles and she isn´t even sure her Mom heard her but she makes no move to stop her daughter.

Sansa doesn´t know where she is going, where her body is dragging itsef, all she notices is fresh air hitting her in the face and the sweet smell of flowers, but her surroundings are unclear to her.

She thinks about just sitting down now that she is outside and alone as far as she can see but her feet carry her farther and farther and maybe they wont ever stop again.

What a silly thought.

In retrospect it´s funny how Sansas mind has been blank for the last months and even though her thoughts have been running wild at times all her brain can really concentrate on is the lack of everything, of feelings and emotions and life and then her feet carry her deeper and deeper into dark surroundings and then without warning she sees them, laying on the ground seemingly in their completely own world and when they turn around, the silver haired girl at first and then the brunette (who she realizes a second later is Margaery Tyrell, and the Targaryen girl) and she locks eyes with them, for a quarter of a second eveything inside her erupts into light and her body isn´t as heavy anymore and her mind not as blank and for the first time in months she´s not tired to the bones and maybe it sounds impossible and cliché but it´s true and Sansa doesn´t know why.

"Hey Sansa." the blonde says, and if it were anybody else she would have already turned around but something is keeping her here.

The voice of the Targaryen is soft and pretty and it makes Sansas stomach fill with warmth.

She thinks maybe she is smiling but she isn´t sure.

"Dany and I were just catching some fresh air and enjoying the stars, you want to join us?" the brunette adds and Sansas skin tingles.

(Dany.. Dany.. Daenerys. she remembers.)

It´s almost too much, the way her body reacts and feels but Sansa wants it to never stop, so she says yes, says "Yeah, okay. Thank you." and she knows her voice is still flat and numb because they are just two girls and they are not just goning to fix her but as she walks over to them and sits down she can feel the grass underneath her legs and the palms of her hands being wet and she sees the flowers she´s surrounded by and the way Margaerys knee is touching that of Daenerys just sightly, and she notices that the sky is dark and full of stars and it must be late and she notices how beautiful both of the girls sitting in a circle next to her are.

Sansa is a little confused and overwhelmed so she tucks her knees under her chin, wraps her arms around them.

There is silence for a minute and she isn´t sure if it´s uncomfortable or not because she doesn´t notice these things anymore.

Her concentration is on the stars above her and she gets why the other two have been watching them, they are insanely bright and there are so many of them and they light up the faces of her two companions.

"So have you been enyoing the festivities, Sansa?" There is something mean in Margaerys voice but Sansa gets that it´s not directed at her, and she also gets that the question doesn´t really need an answer so she settles for looking pointedly at the brunette, her eyebrows raised.

She doesn´t know where she takes the bravery or energy to do so, to communicate with them in a way that feels easy and not forced and real.

Margaery snorts, her nose crunching up and chest puffing up. It makes Sansa feel something in the pit of her stomach but Margaery slaps her hands over her mouth and looks horrified and terrified for a second.

"Sorry."

Daenerys looks at the brunette, head cocked to the side, brows furrowed together, like she is searching for something.

Sansa would like to know what it is.

The silver haired girl turns to her now, smile gracing her lips, all soft and strong and brave and Sansa notices the bruise around her eyes and for a second she feels like someone punched her in the chest and she wants to reach out and touch it, make it disappear.

"Who did that?" the words leave her lips before she knows whats happening, a simple question, and Sansa knows she should be embarassed or horrified or guilty but she doesn´t know how to, and she knows that she shouldn´t have asked and she sees Margaery tense up, looking uncomfortable but also like she wants to know the answer and she sees the way the smile is wiped out of Daenerys face and maybe she just ruined everything.

The thought somehow scares her, her heartbeat speeds up.

Daenerys (or Dany, like she heard Margaery say) sits rigid and still, looking like she forgot how to breathe.

Sansa knows how that feels.

But then it´s gone and the smile is back, this time mysterious and a little scared.

"That´s a story for another time. We shouldn´t talk about such things here, this is a happy place!"

And with that she grins brightly at the other two, but Margaery only looks sad and Sansa doesn´t feel all that good anymore herself.

She sees the way Margaery looks at the other girl, all big eyes and soft smile and Sansa tries to remember ever seeing them in school together but her life is only one big numb blur so there isn´t really much to remember.

Daenerys still looks fake happy and that seems wrong because her hair is the colour of molten silver and her eyes are nearly violet and she knew Sansas name but not in a bad way and she´s probably one of the only people that smile at Sansa and mean it and there is a bruise on her face but her smile is still so brave and she knows what it feels like to not only be hurt emotionally but physically but she still believes in happy places and Sansa doesn´t feel much but she feels that something this beautiful should never be sad and always real happy.

So she lays down next to her, not touching because she still doesn´t like people touching her but also because maybe once she starts she wont be able to let go, and she folds her hands on top of her stomach and out of the corner of her eye she can see Margaery doing the same at the blondes other side, like some silent understanding, and then finally Daenerys sinks down in their middle.

Sansa feels okay.

She only met these two girls a few minutes ago and before tonight they have never spoken a word but she knows there is something connecting them, like they´re all not as happy as they should be and like they are all just a little more fucked up then everybody else.

She knows she doesn´t like when Margaery apologizes for just letting go and when Daenerys is fake happy and she also gets it, people always think Sansa is some naive, stupid little kid but she´s not, she get´s that they probably won´t ever speak again after this and that whatever this is it´s not really real and it doesn´t count because they are far away from everything that´s normal and by school on monday Margaery will be back to cutting smiles in hallways and Daenerys will be back to smoking cigarettes under the bleachers and haunted eyes and Sansa herself, Sansa won´t even remember much of this because the fog will be back again and her mind is gonna blank and her sight blurry, so yeah, she get´s it.

But right now she is just letting herself feel something, feel the warm bodies next to her and the silence that is neither swallowing her or spitting her out and the stars above her that make her feel small in a really good way, and yes,

Sansa feels okay.


End file.
